While Anil Kapoor dons the uniform of a cop in Shootout At Wadala, not many know that he was quite inclined to play the part of Dawood Ibrahim in the film. With his look suited to go with that of Dawood as well, it seemed like an easy pick for director Sanjay Gupta since he had to spend quite some time finding the right personality, especially after Vivek Oberoi backed out of the film. However what prevented Kapoor to be cast in the film was the age gap between Kapoor and Dawood’s character which was set in the 70s.
Anil Kapoor in Shootout At Wadala
“In ‘Shootout At Wadala’, we are showing Dawood’s formative years when he was in his early 20s”, informs Gupta, “Yes, when Anil heard the narration, he said that ‘If I was 10 years younger, I would have loved to play Dawood’. That wasn’t possible though since he cannot look like someone in his early 20s. So we couldn’t carry forward that idea and hence a replacement was being sought.”
This did come the team’s way with Sonu Sood turning out to be a readily available choice. For someone who is quite choosy about his assignments, whether in Bollywood or down South, it was a huge shot in the arm for all involved to hear his consent.
“Agar woh koyi movie kar raha hai toh soch samajh kar hi kar raha hai”, says Gupta in a gladdened tone, “He is not having any dearth of offers. He is playing main villain in so many films down south. Then in Bollywood too the only movie he took up was Maximum and there he is playing a lead. The promo gives me an impression that he has done well all over again. Also, let’s not forget the fact that if a guy can refuse Dabangg 2 but show faith in Shootout…, there is a definite thought process at work here.”
